By RUSSELL EDWARDS
A lighter-than-air yarn about two cheerful nicotine enthusiasts, Hong Kong romancer “Love in a Puff” is an unfiltered delight. Pang Ho-cheung gets the balance exactly right with this well-realized vehicle for Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue, which also plays like a poem to that most cinematic of vices, smoking. Garnering a harsh censorship rating due to profanity and excessive tobacco use, pic had a sluggish local opening in March but has since grossed a semi-respectable $1 million. Further afield, Pang’s growing fest following should take this effort beyond the usual Asia-buff route.
Pic opens with an enjoyable shaggy-dog story that turns out to be a dramatization of around-the-ashtray banter on a street corner. Amid the puffing throng, advertising exec Jimmy (Yue) nonchalantly lights a cigarette for makeup salesgirl Cherie (Yeung). Brief flirtation drifts into definite attraction, but when Jimmy joins a bored Cherie and her friends at a raunchy-themed karaoke night for what he thinks will be a first date, he finds Cherie already has a bf.

Cherie considers leaving her boorish current squeeze, and pic deftly maintains momentum, its pendulum swinging between comedy and drama, as the wannabe lovers try to decide whether or not to begin a relationship. A semi-comic climax, pivoting on the government’s decision to raise cigarette prices, prompts a clever and funny twist on the romantic-comedy trope of the frenzied last-minute dash.

Gentle, genuine perfs have an authentic ring. Yeung effortlessly moves from coy to in-command and back again, while Yue hits the right note as a guy who’s never quite sure when it’s his turn on the love-go-round. The leads’ tangible rapport is evident in the dramatic scenes, but best demonstrated in a hilarious sequence in which the pair pose as innocent tourists when a cop busts them for smoking in a no-puff zone. Seamless supporting perfs buttress the central romance to create a street-smart view of Hong Kong singles.

“I find that Americans still have a very big stereotype toward what Asians are, and I don’t feel a need to perpetuate that stereotype. So when a good character comes along, I’m all for it. I’m ready. I’d be very open to it,” Wu said.

A lighter-than-air yarn about two cheerful nicotine enthusiasts, Hong Kong romancer “Love in a Puff” is an unfiltered delight. Pang Ho-cheung gets the balance exactly right with this well-realized vehicle for Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue, which also plays like a poem to that most cinematic of vices, smoking. http://hkmdb.com/news/?p=5642

A press conference for the action thriller “Triple Tap” was held in Beijing on June 28th. (Sina)

Beijing premiere

Li Bingbing

In the film, Li portrays a manager at a financial company. When Yee was asked to describe Li in real life, he said Li was strong, but inside she was a tender woman. As soon as the voice faded, a tear came out of Li’s eyes. “It’s very touching that the director understands me,” explained Li.

Unfortunately, “Triple Tap” could not capitalise on this intriguing premise. Yee made his big reveal somewhere in the middle of the film, completely shutting down the suspense of finding out what actually transpired during the robbery and who was behind it.

Cecilia Cheung - Shanghai

Cecilia will begin work on Derek Yee’s film with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in February.

The Hidden Chamber of Secrets, a mystery film about serial murders, stars Alec Su and Pace Wu is currently filming in Beijing. He plays a novelist, she plays his wife. The story of horror takes place within 24 hours in a locked house with 8 people. One by one they die. Zhang Fanfan directs the film scheduled to open Oct. 29. (Sina)

Riffing on American indie “Crossing Delancy,” Hong Kong helmer-scribe Ivy Ho’s lackluster romantic comedy “Crossing Hennessy” centers on a fortysomething slacker, still hung up on the childhood sweetheart who dumped him, and a young woman whose family feels she’s involved with an unsuitable man. Ostensibly a vehicle for the two stars, pic forces their relationship to take a backseat to multiple subplots that detour the narrative through sitcom, melodrama and fantasy.

DMG, a Chinese-American media company, and Lionsgate have managed to get “Killers” slotted as the Shanghai International Film Festival’s closing-night film on Sunday.

“They love American movies,” DMG CEO Dan Mintz said. “However, there’s also a signal coming from China: You need to know how to do business with us and how to handle us. The signal is that you can’t just show up once in a while and expect things to go right. You have to know how to work the market and be committed. People know when you are committed or not.”

Miriam and Shawn were in Guangzhou to promote the Mainland Cantonese version of Pang Ho-Cheung’s Love in a Puff. Shawn discounted recent rumors of a relationship with Sammi Cheng. Since they live in the same building, reporters spotted the pair walking their dogs together. Coincidentally, Love in a Puff features a spring-fall relationship. Director Pang declared Love in a Puff the mildest Cat.III film ever. Some of the changes include: the 10 minute opening scene has been shortened to 3-4 minutes, a cigarette joke referring to the male organ, Vincent Kok’s jokes about the paparrazzi, and a key point where Miriam quizzes Shawn about text messages and the implication of getting an abortion(?) is blurred. (Xinhua), (21cn)

Tsui Siu-Ming promised that the 3D Modern Beijing Opera starring Jackie Chan will be action packed. Chan will play national hero Yang Zirong. It is based on the story of Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy which takes place during the Sino-Japanese War. Tsui Siu-Ming is enlisting the help of the PLA backed August 1 Film Studio because of its enormous resources and expertise. (21cn)

Gigi Leung was asked at a design exhibition whether ex-boyfriend Ekin Cheng called to comfort her after her recent break up with her French boyfriend. Gigi told reporters that there was no need. (Sina)

Sammi Cheng - Taiwan

Sammi appeared with Fay, lead singer of FIR, to promote sales of handmade soaps to benefit World Vision. (Xinhua)

May 18, 2010

Hong Kong-based Fortune Star, owned by regional broadcaster Star, has sold two separate packages of library titles to Thailand’s EVS Entertainment and Media International Pictures (MIP) for the Middle East.

EVS has taken 29 titles including My Father Is A Hero and Hitman, both starring Jet Li; Johnnie To’s Running Out Of Time, and Tsui Hark’s The Legend of Zu. MIP acquired 20 titles including Jackie Chan’s City Hunter, John Woo’s Bullet In The Head and Hitman.

Fortune Star recently expanded its portfolio by adding more than 100 titles acquired from Hong Kong-based production company China Star Group.

A eulogy to lung pollution, “Love in a Puff” makes sharing a pack of cigarettes look sexier than sharing a bed as it chronicles how two chain smokers fall in love over a week in the wake of a government crackdown on tobacco in Hong Kong.

A sequel to the 1980 Chinese film “Romance on Lushan Mountain”, which heralded the rebirth of the country’s romantic movie genre, is on the cards, M1905.com reports.

The sequel, provisionally titled “Romance on Lushan Mountain 2010″, continues the story, focusing on a love triangle involving the children of the characters in the 1980 film.Qin Lan, Li Chen and Alex Fong Chung-Sun will star in the sequel. Actress-turned-director Zhang Yu will also reprise her original role.

A 90 second teaser trailer for Fierce West Wind was screened at Cannes and received high praise. “Not Supermen, but real men!” No plot could be determined, but director Gao Qunshu’s film is described as Hollywood-style hardcore action film full of high testosterone. Overseas studio and media interest in the film was high. Producer Peggy Chiao said the teaser was meant to give a quick flavor for the characters but not to reveal the story line. Veteran Hollywood reporters Stephen Cremin, Patrick Frater and Derek Elley were impressed by the development and progress of the Chinese action genre and felt the film was more Hollywood-like than Hong Kong-style. (ifeng), (Sina) (Thanks, to Valerie)

HONG KONG (Hollywood Reporter) - A eulogy to lung pollution, “Love in a Puff” makes sharing a pack of cigarettes look sexier than sharing a bed as it chronicles how two chain smokers fall in love over a week in the wake of a government crackdown on tobacco in Hong Kong.

While smokers can relish the nicotine nirvana created by every smog-filled frame, even non-smokers will be riveted by director Pang Ho-Cheung’s wry dramatization of a bona fide smoking sub-culture among Hong Kong urbanites with an inventive use of colloquial obscene discourse.

Given a restrictive rating excluding the under-18 demographic, the film scored a so-so $515,000 within two weeks of domestic release, but generated critical hype for its fresh and adult way of handling romance.

It’s hard to recall any film that makes refuse bins a sizzling dramatic focal point. Yet in “Love,” one witnesses the curious phenomenon of “Chinese hotpot” — the activity of people from different backgrounds gathering around a public bin near their offices to smoke and swap tall tales and dirty jokes — an after-effect of a law banning indoor smoking in 2007.

At one such session, a spark is ignited between cosmetics lady Cherie (Miriam Yeung) and advertising executive Jimmy (Shawn Yue). They keep making excuses to see each other until Cherie’s live-in boyfriend notices something fishy. Whether the protagonists finally take the plunge to be together is of less interest than the painfully truthful way Pang depicts their suggestive body language, their guessing games and how their spontaneous rapport is offset by calculated moves to avoid being hurt.

Adeptly paced, there are no big dramas, just slyly droll vignettes like Jimmy wheedling Cherie’s mobile number out of her, or the hidden meaning found in an SMS, or their night out raiding convenience stores to buy up all their cigarettes a few hours before tobacco tax skyrockets. These are punctuated by mock-documentary interviews with their friends, which has the juvenile feel of student films. Technical credits are ordinary but outdoor scenes have a zingy, bustling feel.

By reveling in political incorrectness, sexual obscenity and defiantly homegrown verbal profanity, Pang blows a big raspberry at the local film industry, now fettered by considerations about the China market (and consequently its censorship system). However, some of his typical smart alecky gags backfire.

The salacious details in which Jimmy’s colleagues describe his girlfriend’s infidelity are smutty but not funny. The tone in a scenario where Cherie’s friend Brenda is stood up by her Facebook date is downright mean, yet Pang degrades her further in post-credit shots of her keening wails.

The film partly owes its offbeat humor and candor to emerging writer-director Heiward Mak, who co-wrote the screenplay. Her youthful perspective can be detected in the dialogue, which pins down the restless pulse of Hong Kong’s so-called ‘”instant cook” culture of speedy dating with uncanny accuracy.

The happy-go-lucky Cherie is played fetchingly by Yeung. She is the most sympathetic and least objectified heroine among Pang’s films. Yue is just right as the regular guy capable of both chivalry and commitment phobia.Reuters

Two Mainland versions of Pang Ho-Cheung’s Cat. III Love in a Puff will be released in June. Neither version will have any scenes deleted. Rather, both Mandarin and Cantonese (for Guangdong Province) versions will be redubbed to eliminate foul language and Hong Kong slang. This means that there will be three versions of the film, Mainland Mandarin, Mainland Cantonese and Hong Kong Cantonese. On a post by the director on his micro-blog: “So excited to tell you, Love in a Puff will be released in June. La la la la. The most exciting thing is, Guangdong Province Cantonese version will be shown, yo yo yo yo. Happy, happy, happy, happy.” In the past, foul language was ‘beeped’ out but this was found to be too distracting for viewers. According to anonymous sources, Pang originally tried to edit the scenes with bad language but the results were unsatisfactory so the redub approach was taken. (Xinhua), (Sina)

Producer Manfred Wong announced that Karen Mok and Tony Leung Ka-Fai would play Bruce Lee’s parents in the Bruce Lee Biography. Aarif Lee Chi-Ting was previously announced as playing Bruce Lee. Shooting would begin in June, in time for a November release to coincide with Bruce Lee’s 70th birthday. Simon Yam and others are expected to guest. Peter Chan is to direct and Raymond Yip to deputy direct. (Sina)

The First Adventures of the Three Gangsta Bears

Poster for an early short work of Pang Ho-Cheung. On his micro-blog, Pang says he is having underground screenings. A description of the film where it has a surprise world premiere at Udine Film Festival.

After missing her expected Mother’s Day delivery date, Cecilia Cheung has checked into the hospital and is expected to deliver her baby tomorrow. The family has reportedly selected an English name already, ‘Focus’, to match the ‘-cas’ in brother Lucas’ name. (Xinhua)

More baby news. Due to her recent hard stance against having a baby, Michelle Reis’ husband has reportedly offered her HK$500 million if she will agree to undergoing artificial insemination. Regardless of the success, she would reap the benefit. (Xinhua)

The highlight of the spectacular show was, naturally the much-talked about indoor revolving stage that entered the Guinness World Records for its sheer size - a 10m by 9.44m translucent platform (about the size of two squash courts). Cavorting on a 450 degree revolving manner, the stage took Aaron Kwok back and forth while he sang and danced, as it revolved vertically and horizontally.

April 9, 2010

Love in a Puff has little hope to be screened in the mainland due to its Cat.III rating. It has a limited release in Hong Kong. Director Pang Ho-Cheung said that he did not originally expect a Cat.III rating. On his upcoming Dream Home, there are a large number of bloody scenes and mutilated bodies, so it might also face difficulty to introduce in the mainland. Said Pang, he did not intentionally give up the mainland market but just wants to make his own films. (Sina)

Derek Yee’s Triple Tap poster

Derek Yee, Daniel Wu, Alex Fong Chung-Sun, Chin Ka-Lok

Charlene Choi, Louis Koo

Derek Yee fears June 30 scheduled release will run up against World Cup matches (Sina)

The Hong Kong Film Awards have honored veteran kung fu film director and choreographer Lau Kar-leung with its lifetime achievement prize.

Maggie Cheung, Jiang Qiong Er

Maggie Cheung is rumored to have split with her younger German boyfriend architect Ole Scheeren. According to Hong Kong’s Next Weekly Ole is smitten with Chinese designer Jiang Qiong Er. In the past six months Maggie has been seen travelling alone and unaccompanied to public events. When asked about her boyfriend recently Maggie seemed embarrassed. Jiang Qiong Er is an internation jewelry, furniture and clothing designer starting her own brand. (Xinhua)

March 25, 2010

Pang Ho-Cheung, the man behind Hong Kong festival favourites Isabella and Exodus, returns with an achingly romantic comic two-hander crackling with pithy dialogue and witty observations on contemporary dating. The story of a couple who meet smoking behind the building where they both work and the first week of their burgeoning romance over cigarettes, Love In A Puff is set in a Hong Kong we rarely see: a fiercely modern cosmopolis where twenty and thirtysomethings work and socialise, smoke and drink, flirt and date around the city’s streets, bars and coffee shops.

It is so charming, intelligently executed and universal in its themes that it deserves to score wide arthouse sales.

Reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise and Before Sunset with doffs of the cap to Woody Allen and Eric Rohmer, the film nevertheless has a unique flavour from its gleefully un-PC focus on smoking to a cheerfully vulgar streak. Opening this weekend (March 25) in Hong Kong after a world premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, it should be a popular local title. And even though many local references and in-jokes will fly over the heads of international audiences (this reviewer included) it is so charming, intelligently executed and universal in its themes that it deserves to score wide arthouse sales.

Any smoker, former or current, will relate to its portrait of young men and woman huddled in alleyways and outside restaurants bonding over their shared addiction for nicotine. The film is set in February 2009, just days before cigarette prices shot through the roof, but two years after the Hong Kong Health Authority imposed a ban on smoking in any inside area.

In one such huddle in an alley behind a cluster of commercial buildings gathers a bunch of smokers including Cherie (Yeung), a young woman who works as a salesgirl in a Sephora branch, and Jimmy (Yue), an advertising executive in his twenties. Although they have never met before, the two bond quickly over tall takes and gossip.

Over the following days, they text and meet each other with increasing frequency as a clear attraction develops between them. Bored at a friend’s birthday party, Cherie, dressed as a 1980s Madonna, texts Jimmy, who is having hot pot with some friends, and the two go for a walk, ending up doing karaoke at a bar. Another night, Jimmy comes to help Cherie comfort a friend who has been stood up by an internet date.

Cherie, it emerges, is in an ailing relationship, while Jimmy is single, getting over being dumped by his former girlfriend for a Frenchman. By day five, Cherie has moved out of her boyfriend’s house but once Jimmy sees how fast it is moving, hesitation sets in.

Pang structures the film as a series of meetings between the two, peppered with some to-camera confessions from the leads and peripheral characters on their romantic experiences. The dialogue between the two leads is effortlessly natural and the two actors have humour and chemistry, especially since Yeung’s Cherie is self-conscious about being older than Jimmy.

Yeung, the queen of Hong Kong comedy from films like Lover Undercover and My Lucky Star, and Yue, a versatile actor whose credits include Infernal Affairs II, both display a winning blend of vulnerability and confidence while smoking more cigarettes than have been seen on screen since the French New Wave.

Production company: Making Film

International sales: Media Asia Distribution

Producers: Pang Ho-Cheung, Subi Liang

Executive producer: John Chong

Screenplay: Pang Ho-Cheung, Howard Mak, from an original story by Pang

The third film from experimental Hong Kong filmmaker Scud, Amphetamine is the story of a doomed love affair between a gay man and an emotionally damaged straight man which, while always visually arresting, ultimately rings hollow. The film is certainly flashy – filled throughout with two second flashbacks, dreamlike imagery and fantasy sequences – but its self-conscious artiness dilutes the potential dramatic impact and it plays as more stylistic curio than full-blooded character piece.

The tantalizing prospect of 3D re-edits of classic Hong Kong kung fu movies was dangled before the participants at the Asia Visual Effects and Digital Film Making Summit 2010: “Emerging Digital Movie Making in Asia” seminar in Theatre 1 of the Convention Center on Tuesday morning.

The cinema’s facilities were put to good use as speakers showed footage from some of the latest local 3D productions that had the audience applauding after every clip.

Fire of Conscience grips right from the opening credits sequence, a stunning montage of freeze-framed black-and-white images, which offer clues to the complex crime story to follow. What follows is a frenetic and at times extremely violent crime tale that occasionally veers towards the daft but always manages to be gripping and provocative.

Golden Sun’s $15 million remake of “The Chinese Ghost Story,” announced at last year’s Filmart, will commence filming in April 2010 for a late 2010 release. The film is the second installment of the “new oriental fantasy” trilogy after “Painted Skin” and will be followed by the $15 million “The Lantern.” The company is also targeting the Chinese market with the $5 million action comedy “The Swordsman Dream” scheduled for July, and is considering the stereoscopic 3D feasibility for upcoming action adventure “Hidden Strike,” now in development. (THR)

More 3D coming:

Ming Pao reports that Filmko Entertainment Cheang Pou-Soi (Accident) will direct a 3D IMAX version of Havoc in Heaven (the Monkey King story) with Donnie Yen or Jet Li, starting in October. [Last year, another 3D mainland version of Havoc in Heaven was announced for a release this summer but I don't remember seeing any update on that one.]

In addition, Filmko said Tsui Hark will remake New Dragon Inn in 3D sometime next year. No cast announcements. (Sina)